Hello, this is my first time posting on this board. I am new to camaros, I've had mine for only a few weeks. I have a 1997 V6 3.8 camaro (5 speed) and I hear a ticking noise when I start up my car. I believe it continues through out the time I drive(unsure). I heard this would be my lifters. Could it be anything else? If it is my lifters, how much would it cost to replace them? Would I be able to do them myself or should I take it to a shop?
Thanks in advance.

 

to change the lifters would requier removal of both heads, not 100% sure on that but thats the case with most engine. If you can get it done with out removing the head you would have to take off intake manifold, valve covers, rocker arms, and finnaly each pushrod and then you would be able to remove the lifters. But then again I'm not sure never really be inside a 3.8 engine before so I don't know what it looks like inside there. But before you start dirving into your engine you might just wanna try cleaning the inside of the engine. See if you can find a shop around your area that can do an oil system flush and see if that helps any. If you can't get it flushed go down to o'reilys and get a quart of Marvins Mystery Oil it comes in a red platic container that looks like a normal quart of oil. Next time you do an oil change on your car or have an oil change done on your car have them pour in that stuff and then top of your oil. Drive it for a while and keep an eye on your oil. Once it gets diry change it again and keep adding that mystery oil. Do it as much as possible or until you can drive for with the oil for the normal ammount of time. 3 month or 3K miles. And see if that helps it could just be your engine was abused and the oil wasn't changed as often as it should have been. And just getting that old slug and junk out of the engine just might help it enought to fix the problem. Let us know how things go and keep us posted there are a lot of smart people here that are more than willing to help you but you gotta keep us up todate with how things are going. And welcome to the board.

 

Thanks! I did change the oil, but I intend to do it again sometime soon. I will try that out and see what goes on. I will post more info when I get it.

 

you dont need to touch the heads...

intake, rockers, pushrods, then to lifters!!!